Our first worm bin is fully operational! I used the "Deluxe Worm Bin" design from Red Worm Composting.

I found that I did not have an ample supply of bedding materials, but I did scrounge up some cardboard and unbleached paper to use. Cutting cardboard is a real pain, but ripping the paper was a lot nicer. Most websites recommend using newspaper, but we don't have any and the video I watched said that cardboard was better. We shall see.

After setting up the bin, we waited a week before picking up my red worms at Durham Worm Farm. They were really friendly and knowledgeable, and the worms came in a mix of compost and worm castings that any gardener would drool over. Mark at Durham Worm Farm did not recommend using newspaper in the worm bin, and he said that feeding the worms bread will give them protein sores. He also said that fruit flies would be attracted to the food in the bin (even with the lid on), and that we should drape an old t-shirt over the top layer inside the bin to keep flies out. One pound of red worms cost $26, and he was nice enough to only charge us for a pound even though he collected more than that for us. The worms looked very healthy and were moving around quite a bit.

I've been interested in composting for quite some time, but I have never actually had my own working compost pile. I made a valiant effort at our last place, but the steep slope in the backyard conquered me and I abandoned it. Of course, I have seen a design for sloped compost bin since then, but at the time I conceded defeat.

Now that we are flatlanders, I knew my dream of a compost pile would come true. I began researching composters, but the idea of vermicomposting kept popping up. I worked a little bit with both at Humboldt State, so I was definitely open to either. Here is a list of factors to consider when making this important decision:

Location
Worms work best at temperatures between 55 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so unless you plan on keeping them inside you might prefer an outdoor compost bin. If the temperature is too cold or too hot, the worms will die, so it isn't just a matter of efficiency. We couldn't even keep our bin in the garage because it gets so hot in there.

I just found a wonderfully informative website developed by the Water Education Foundation. They have a page to determine where your water comes from if you are in California.

California, like most of the arid West, has a rich history when it comes to water. It includes monumental feats of human engineering, shady political dealings, acts of God, and the eternal struggle of man versus nature. If you have never read Cadillac Desert by Marc Reiner, I highly recommend it. It will change the way you look at water and water projects.

If documentary films are more your thing, I also recommend at least checking out the PBS series based on the book, which covers water issues in California, the western U.S.

Tired of all those "pre-approved" credit card applications you get in the mail?  I dislike credit cards as well as all the wasted paper.  I was just about to write to a company that sent me one when I noticed this little gem on the back of the application:

PRESCREEN & OPT-OUT NOTICE: If you do not want to receive prescreened offers of credit from us and other companies, call the consumer reporting agencies toll free at 1-888-5-OPTOUT; or write to:

• TransUnion Name Removal Option, P.O. Box 505, Woodlyn, PA 19094
• Experian Information Solutions, P.O. Box 919, Allen, TX 75103
• Equifax Options, P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374–0123

Those are the three major credit reporting agencies, which you can get free credit reports from once per year.  It’s good to check and see if who has been checking your credit and what kind of information they have on you.  You can request the free credit reports here, which is linked from the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

I have done pesticide research and studied chemistry, and I am still boggled by all this chemical/pesticide stuff. I do have a few quick gems which I have picked up in my studies which I will share with you though:

• The greatest exposure to chemicals for the average American is in their own household. Have you read the label on your bleach, detergent, dish washing liquid, shampoo, ant spray, or splenda lately?
• Whatever we know about chemicals pales in comparison to what we don't know about what happens to the chemicals in the environment. There is little to know research about the toxicity of the breakdown chemicals, as well as the toxic effects produced when different chemicals meet in the environment and mix
• Just because a chemical is sold at the store does NOT make it safe.  Read the rules of application and follow them.  When it comes to chemicals, more is not better, and can actually be a lot worse.

I highly recommend an article (Parts 1 and 2) by Anne Steinemann that was published last year.  In it, she announces that “indoor sources account for nearly 90% of our pollutant exposure” and that “pollutant levels found in typical homes, if found outdoors, would often violate federal environmental standards.”  In Part 2, she states that ‘the places that we normally consider "safe" (homes, schools, workplaces, vehicles, public buildings, medical facilities) and the products that we consider "safe" (because they are widely sold and used) are precisely the major sources of pollutant exposures. Yet these sources are virtually unregulated by existing environmental laws.’

When I first moved to northern California I became aware of the organic produce movement. The natural food store and the co-op had lots of organic fruits and veggies, as well as lots of organic processed food. I rarely bought any, as I was on a budget of $25/week and had to shop at the regular supermarket. However, once in a while I splurged in the organic section. I felt like I was doing something good for me and the environment.

Years later, after researching and studying in the fields of nutrition, chemistry, agriculture and pesticides, I still buy organic produce. No longer a starving student, I can afford to pay a little more for my groceries. I also am a big supporter of the organic farming movement, and at our farmer's market I always go to the organic farmer's booth first to see what goodies he has. However, I also buy a great deal of conventionally farmed produce as well. This is a conscious shift I have made as my awareness on this issue has broadened.